Bistro Cup Oatmeal (#spon review)

So, in case you didn’t know, I know a thing or two about oatmeal. I mean, after all, I kind of wrote a book on the topic. Okay, okay, free ebook. But, still! I am no stranger to the ways of the oat. I have lots of ways of making it special and, well, it takes quite a lot to impress me in this department.

Still, even though I might cook oatmeal eighty different ways ’til sundown, I am well aware that not everyone does. In fact, I’d venture there’s a larger portion of our population relying on oatmeal packets or coffee shop oatmeal cups than cooking it up in a pot each day. And that’s okay! I get it– traditional oatmeal, though not difficult, does require dirtying a pot and spending at least a few minutes over the stove. It’s not “grab and go.”

The inarguable popularity of the Keurig® is evidence of our love of “quick gourmet.” People delight in being able to brew a perfect single cup of coffee at the touch of a button. Knowing this, and being a bit of an oatmeal connossieur, I was really intrigued to try Nature Valley Bistro Cups™ Oatmeal– the first-ever premium food product designed specifically for use in Keurig® Home Brewing Systems.*

The process for preparing this couldn’t really be much easier:

Each Nature Valley Bistro Cups™ Oatmeal comes with three things– a pouch of multigrain oats, a package of dried fruits and nuts, and the “K-cup” containing the flavor to brew right into your oatmeal. Here’s what you do:

Pour oatmeal an mix-ins into mug.

Place the Bistro Cups™ pod into the machine.

Press the 6-ounce brew setting. You’ll smell your oameal being prepared while you carry on with getting ready, then grab your mug and roll!

And that’s that.

Now, here’s the scoop– there are some definite pros and cons to this product and I want to be really blunt about all of them. Here’s why: I truly believe Nature Valley Bistro Cups™ Oatmeal is a fantastic idea for some, but not all, of my readers. I’m going to give you all the deets so you decide into which group you fall!

Pros:

This oatmeal tastes a lot like the stuff you would buy at that very popular coffee chain that sells jazzed up oatmeal. (Subtle enough for you? ) It is significantly cheaper per serving compared to the coffee shop variety.

It does NOT taste like the stuff that comes in a packet.

The ingredient list is short and clean– hooray!

It is very, very easy to make.

It does not require a stove or microwave.

Microwaving is equally easy, but can get messy quickly– ask me how I know.

The amount of fruit and nuts included is impressive.

If you’re on-the-go, eating at the office, or want a “restaurant quality” oatmeal substitute, it’s a great option.

Cons:

There’s a lot of packaging– it’s kind of bulky.

Not everyone has this type of machine so, if you don’t, it’s not all that helpful.

It is significantly more costly per serving than the stuff you make yourself on the stove.

Making it from scratch gives you more opportunity to customize.

If you have abundant time at home, and don’t mind cooking, I’m not sure it “solves a problem.”

So there you have it.

Me? Well, I rather enjoyed taking my cup of Apple Cinnamon Almond — it’s also available in Brown Sugar Pecan– out onto the porch swing for a hearty, tasty breakfast with nature.

Just for fun, tell me this–

Do you eat oatmeal? If so, how do you typically make it?

(Psst– You can find Nature Valley Bistro cups in the hot cereal aisle at Target!)

*Nature Valley Bistro Cups Oatmeal is not affiliated with Keurig, Inc. KEURIG and K-CUP are registered trademarks of Keurig, Inc.

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.

6 comments to Bistro Cup Oatmeal (#spon review)

This has me kind of excited… I eat a lot of oatmeal at work in the fall and winter because the office stays so cold. But I prepare it in the microwave (such a mess!) and use the instant packets that I don’t love.
This wouldn’t help me at home, because we don’t have a Keurig, but here at work, it’d be perfect!

I actually told my husband that I thought this would be great for “away from home” breakfasts because so many places of business have Keurigs anymore! There’s one at our oil change place, our children’s hospital, etc… I think I’d be more likely to put them to use in those settings than at home, to be honest.

I too eat oatmeal in the fall/winter at work. These looking interesting to me as well b/c we have a Keurig at work that I could easily make this with. The microwave kind are ok but you really have to watch to make sure you don’t make a huge mess!